Light support



' Patented Nov. 23, 1 937 LIGHT SUPPORT Frank C. McGrady, Washington,1].. O. 7

Application October 20, 1933, Serial No. 694,496

3' Claims.

This invention relates generally to improvements in supports, and morein particular to an improved means for supporting electric. floodlights, I V j 52' My invention is capable-of many uses-particularlywhere a relatively tallorlong support. is required. One. importantusehas been found. to be. in connection with electric flood lamps. Powerfulelectric lampsbetween 500 and 2000 10 watts are supportedat the topsorendsof supports ranging from: to 35. ieetlength. These lamps are usuallyprovided withv reflectors/and are used to illuminateqgasolme stations,outdoor parking lots, athletic fields, exhibit houses, and 15 fornumerous other purposes. I V

The sllpportsfor such lamps can be made of anysuitable materialbut areusually tubular pipes of steel. The bases of these pipes must be fairlylarge and strong, in order to not only support the lamp structure andreflector but to withstand additional strain when it is necessary toservice the lamps. r

A reflector is provided at the top of these supports for the lamp. YUnless the reflector is maintained bright and clean the efficiency ofthe lamp is greatlyimpairedand the'illumination desired is not had. Itis necessary therefore to cleanand polish these reflectors at frequentintervals, Additionally, these lamps. require other service in the;formof new lamp bulbs, refinishing of the reflector, focusing of thereflector, checking ofthe Wires, etc. The supports are also painted atfrequent intervals, which ordinarily requires the. services ofan expertsteepl'ejack or painter.

'I'he cost of such supports is quite. appreciable,

and. the added expense. of having the lamps serviced by a skilledworkman who must bewilling to take the dangerous. risks. incident toreach-' person. from the ground without danger,- and the need. of aserviceman trained in this particular field is no, longer required withmy improved support. Moreover, my improvement; in lamp supports. readilyadapts. itself to incorporation. with the old forms of supports enablingthe lamps thereof to also be easily accessiblefor servicing, and so.dispensing with the need ofan' expertj serviceman and reducing. the costof maintenance. 'B'riefly, my invention. generally consists of providinga supporting standard for electric lamps of the typehereinafterdescribed made up as several longitudinal sections and joined by aspecial coupling member, wherein the support may be of smaller diameter,lighter and of less expensive materials than heretofore, and providesmeans for rendering the end or topof the support, including the lamp andreflector, ac eessible for-servicing from the ground and without need ofa ladder. An inlet or junction box 7 is provided in combination with thesupport which can be used to splice the wires IGEtdiQgftG thB lamp, andalso used as ajunction and splice box to carry the conduit and wirext'oother similar structures or electrical outlets In the accompanyingdrawing I have illustrated a practical use'of invention, in which: Fig.1 is a vertical cross sectional view or a portion. of a lamp. support ofthe type under 'consideration and illustrates the upper and lowersupports and hinge means for allowing the upper support to be renderedaccessible;

Fig.2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken through 1lne.2'2. ofFig. 1 showing the hinge, and additionally shows: in dotted lines inletand outlet conduits for the electric wires-"leading-to the lamp; 1

Fig. 3 is a segmental cross-sectional view taken on the vertical. line3.3 and. the horizontal line 4-4 of. Fig; 2. and shows-one: of theelectric wire conduits, namely the inlet; and, r r

Fig, 4. is a side view of. the entire lamp supporting structure, and indotted l-inesis illustrated the upper support lowered for servicing thelamp. Alower support of any approved nature illustrated here as atubular pipe I0 is securely anchored in the ground. The upper end of thepipe engages and fits into a blockB, which is the lower of two similarlyformed block members which together constitute. a novel coupling member,the other being marked B. The lower block B is formed with a centralboreandhas. an. internal flange ll providedon its lowerside with a seat l2for the upper end: oi pipe ill-. Theboreis-taperedas at lite assure astable fitting with pipes or other types of base members of varyingsizes. Depending from the lower side of the block is a skirt l4. spacedfrom the pipe, and through which screws l5-|5 pass to lock and retainthe pipe in position. A packing weld, or braze, l6 between the skirt andpipe is provided if desired to keep out moisture. side of the blockcarries the apertured hinge lugs l'l--l1 50 positioned as to align withthe apertured hinge lugs l8-l8 of the upper block B. A bolt l9 passesthrough the apertures in the aforementioned lugs to constitute a hingeconnection between the two blocks. A tight fit should be effectedbetween the abutting faces of these blocks to prevent the interventionof moisture, and to effect that end their faces may be machined as shownor provided with a gasket plate.

Upper block B likewise has a central bore and has an internal. annularflange 20 forming a ring seat 2| for the lower end 2 2 of the upper lampsupport 23. The block further has a portion of its bore tapered as at.24 for the purpose above mentioned. Likewise an upstanding skirt 25 isintegral withthe block and is provided with screws and a packingassociated therewith in thesame manner and for the same purpose as inthe construction of the lower block B.

' Bolt holes are drilled in vertical alignment through both upper andlower blocks to receive the several bolts as shown at 26, whichconstitute one means of locking the blocks together and maintaining thelamp support in a rigid and operative position.

The support-in the present instance being tubular forms a housing forthe wires leading to the lamp. The lower block B includes verticalbores30 and 3| which connect with the horizontal channels 32 and 33which are cut in the top surface of the block and lead to the interiorof the support.

Fig. 3 shows one of such vertical bores, namely the inlet bore 30, andits connecting horizontal channel 32. The internal edges of the twoblocks adjacent the bores and channels are rounded as at 34 to preventcutting of the electric wires.

The lower end of the bores 30 and 3| are preferably screw threaded toreceive the electric wire conduits 35 and 36 which are likewisepreferably screw threaded at their upper ends to effect a convenientfitting therebetween.

Fig. 4 shows use and adaptation of the invention in its assembled formwith the lower pipe l0 anchored in the ground and supporting the blockB, with block B hingedly mounted thereon and supporting the uppersupport 23 which carries the lamp and reflector. If for any of severalreasons it is desired to service the lamp, as 'by polishing thereflector, replacing a lamp bulb, or checking the wiring, it is onlynecessary in this instance to remove the several bolts 26 from the twoblocks and lower the upper support 23 until the top rests upon theground, which position is partially shown in dotted lines by Fig. 4.This will enable the workman to have full access to the lamp reflectorand all wiring in a safe manner without any of the dangerous risks ofclimbing a ladder as has been heretofore necessary. When the operationis complete the upper support and the lamp can again be raised totheposition shown in full lines, and the, bolts 26 replaced to securelylock the structure in po sition. p I

To assist in lowering the upper supporting One 7 structure it may bedesired to secure a chain or cable to the top of the support as shown at40 and. when not in use it could hang by the side of the support, or beanchored to a ring 41 in the ground.

In a support of this type it will be readily appreciated that the entiresupporting structure can be of much lighter material, thus reducing thecost, as the strength formerly necessarily inherent tosuch structures isno longer needed due to the improved manner of rendering the lamp andreflector accessible.

" The improved means above described for en- .abling the lamp to beserviced may also be read- -ily incorporated in a lamp support ofgtheold type; wherein the base of the support is relatively thick for thereasons explained. It is only necessary to cut the support through on ahorizontal plane a few feet above the surface of the ground, and attacha block of the type described asB .to

the top of the lower support portion, and a block such as B to the lowerend of the upper supporting portion, insert a bolt of the type describedat l9, hoist the support into position and lock in place by the bolts26. p

Thus it will be appreciated that I have invented a new and improvedsupport means for electric lamps of the type under consideration,wherein the cost of production and upkeep of the lamp and support isgreatly reduced, and which adapts itself to the old type of lamps tolessen the upkeep thereof;

While I have shownand described my invention v as being particularlyadapted for use in conjunction with flood lamps, it is to be understoodthat the same is not so limited as it is adapted for use in allinstances wherein a relatively tall vertical support is desired, andwherein it is necessary from time to time to lower said support for thepurpose of servicing.

While in the drawing and description of the invention I have illustratedmy improved support as used in a vertical position, it should beunderstood that the support readily adapts itself for use in any otherangular position. For instance, the base could equally as well beanchored to a vertical wall with the support extending outwardlytherefroin in a horizontal plane. Such a position would be mostdesirable for use in connection with illuminating large signs on thesides of buildings, etc. In such a use the hinge construction would beaccessible from a window in the building, and by means of the cableattached to the outer end of the support, the lamp and reflector couldbe drawn up to assume a horizontal position at right anglesto the basesupport and parallel to the building wall, in which position the lampand reflector would be most accessible from an upper window forservicing, and the junction box open for inspecting the wiring.

I claim:

1. A support for a flood lamp of the type described comprising a basemember and a top member, a pair of complementary hingedly connectedblocks mounted upon the base member for support of the top member,tubular skirts fixedto said blocks and positioned on opposite sidesthereof for the reception of said base and top members, and a boreextending centrally through said blocks having a flange thereinforsupporting on opposite sides thereof said base and top members, saidbore and flange cooperating to support said base and top members inspaced rela- CPI tion with respect to said skirts, and means to securesaid base and top members in position.

2. A support for a flood lamp of the type described, comprising a pairof complementary hingedly connected blocks, skirts fixed thereto, boresformed centrally of said blocks and having a shoulder therein, a basemember extending into the skirt and bore of one of said blocksandabutting the under side of the shoulder thereof to support the same,a lamp supporting top member extending into the skirt and bore of theother of said blocks and supported by the shoulder formed therein, andmeans to lock said blocks in position to cause'the same together withsaid base and top members to assume a lamp supporting position. 7

3. 'A support for-an electric flood lamp of the type describedcomprising a base member and a top lamp supporting member, and thecombination therewith of a hinged connection between said membersincluding a junction box for said lamp, the same comprising a blockhaving .a skirt fixed to the block on one face thereof concentricallydisposed about an end of said base member, a central bore in said blockand a shoulder formed therein for supporting said block upon said basemember, a second block member hingedly connected to said first block andformed with a skirt portion on one face thereof concentrically disposedabout an end of said top member, and provided with a bore formedcentrally thereof and for alignment with the bore of said first block, ashoulder in said bore for supporting the ,end of said lamp supportingmember, means for looking said blocks in place, and a channel formed inone of said blocks opening into the bores thereof for accommodating thewires of said lamp and constituting with said blocks a junction box;

FRANK c. MCGRADY. 20

